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Thursday, December 31, 2015

Running Gear

I'm relatively new to running. When I started I found it helpful to see what other runners use, so I'll post here the gear I have. Running is nice in that you don't need too much (unlike cycling, which was my passion about 20 years ago).

Shoes
My feet are fairly narrow (front and heel) and I have a high arch (you know that test where you put your wet feet on a piece of paper to see how high you arch is? When I do that I have NO arch section showing). So, my main concern as far as fit is keeping the heel down tight and not sliding around in the forefoot.
When I first bought shoes I went to my local running shoe store and they put me on a treadmill and determined my "gate" is neutral. I've read a lot since then, and I'm on the side of "less shoe" as far as support, posts, etc. Oh, and I weight 140 lbs (5' 9") if that makes any difference.

New Balance Zante - I like these shoes, and I'm on my second pair. I use these for training, when I'm not looking to "pick up the pace". They fit well, but be warned that even with my high arch I can "feel" some support in the mid-foot area. Drop is 6mm per Running Warehouse.

New Balance RC5000 - for track intervals and 5k races. These shoes are SUPER light, have nothing to them, and make me feel fast. Per Running Warehouse they are 3 oz, and drop of 6mm which matches the Zante. My longest run in them was a 3 x 3200 on the track....that's about as far as I would go in these. Not sure I would want to go that far on the road (track has softness and bounce you won't get on asphalt). I ordered 1/2 size down and that was the right choice. A little snug in the forefoot, but okay for shorter runs.

Asics Hyperspeed 6 - Good shoes, they feel light and have a 6 mm drop and about 5 1/2 oz. I use them on faster tempo runs, so far up to 10 miles. I have to crank the laces down some to avoid some slipping in the forefoot, but when I get it right it's good. I will probably use these shoes for 10k and half marathon races as well. Note: NB has that extra lace eyelet at the top that I use to "lock" my heel down, Asics doesn't have this....wish they did, but I manage.

Saucony Fastwitch 6 - I wanted these shoes to give my something a little uptempo but still good for longer runs. These shoes are NOT doing it. The ride is just too firm for me. It's almost like from the mid foot back they are too stiff(?) Whatever it is, they aren't the best for me. I will still try the Kinvara's at some point, but probably not another pair of these. However, I did pay for them..so I'll wear them on my shorter runs, because they aren't hurting me in any way, just not comfortable.

Shoe shopping list: Saucony Kinvara 6. I might try these when the Zantes wear out. The NB Vazee look good too, looks like NB is replacing Zante with these? Or, maybe the 980 is becoming Vazee?

Watch
TomTom Runner GPS with heart rate monitor. I chose this watch for two reasons: 1) big main display....I wear glasses, but not when I run, so a big main display is very helpful. I can't see the two smaller displays, but I just toggle up/down using the separate control thingie. I pretty quickly figured out which display I'm on...all good. 2.) built-in heart rate monitor - no strap! Nice. turns out I don't use this too much and rely on pace more than HR. It records a little "funky" too, but I think that happens with strap HR monitors too. The price is reasonable at $230 too.
I'm starting to get some "Garmin envy", as I see a lot of other runners use Garmin and I think their software might be better....but I'm happy for now.

Safety
I run a lot by myself, so I need something on me in case I keel over or get hit by a car or deer. I use RoadID bracelet, and recently/reluctantly I started carrying my phone with me on an arm band. Reluctantly because I like the idea of being "unconnected" during my run, but my wife won the battle, so now I carry it! (My wife ALWAYS wins these battles by the way....happy wife, happy life as they say)

Maintenance
Foam roller, stretchy bands, medicine ball. I've found these helpful to avoid injury. I use them for rehab routines for my IT band, core work, and dynamic stretching.